Look at the Stars
by fanofNC
Summary: This is a series of oneshots that will be Kaider-centric, but other characters will come along. Most of these are AUs. If you have any prompts for us, you can put it in the comments or send us a message. Also, if you really like a oneshot or you think it has potential to be more, tell us, and we'll consider making a full-fledged story. Enjoy!
1. Of Books and Clothes

**Author's note: Welcome to our first cringy one-shot! This first one is set in the nineteenth century, inspired by the society in the Anne of Green Gables series. Back then, when girls turn sixteen, they change dresses for long skirts and wear their hair above their neck. However, because of the month in which their birthdays occur, some girls start wearing long skirts before they wear their hair up. That's the case with Selene here. Also, there are some phrases in here that come from the book, which means you might not understand what they say, since it could be considered "old Canadian English". If you don't understand something, ask away, and I'll try to clarify for you!**

 **Shoutout to kslchen from the Anne of Green Gables fandom for helping me with the background info! And remember, if you like this story or simply think it has potential to develop further, just put your thought into a comment/review, and we might make it a full-fledged story! Enjoy!**

"Kaito, dear, come here for a moment, won't you?"

The boy, who had been studying at the table for school, came over and stood beside his mother in the kitchen. Mrs. Prince sighed inwardly. Time flies too fast. It seemed as if, in an instant, the baby boy she held in her arms had grown into a sixteen-year-old young man, now taller than her.

Kai cleared his throat. "Mother?"

"Right." Mrs. Prince picked up the basket she'd been arranging and handed it to her son. "The Blackburns just moved in, so I want you to take this over to them. Some baked treats that I just finished."

Kai grinned. "Do I get some?"

"They'll probably feed you, if they have any manners at all. If they don't, I'll feed you when you get back."

Kai leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "Thanks, Mother."

"Don't frighten our new neighbors!" she called after him as he made his way down the lane.

Kai's laugh drifted over. "That's for Carswell to do!" he called back.

* * *

"What did you say was for me to do?"

Kai whirled around and glared at the offender. "Carswell Thorne! Would you stop doing that?"

Carswell laughed. "Never." He eyed Kai's basket. "Where are you off to with Mrs. Prince's delicious baked treats?"

"The Blackburn's place. They just moved here, you know."

Carswell smirked. "I heard their household is entirely made up of females."

Kai groaned. "I hope I won't have to save them from your evil hands anytime soon."

"Always the knight in shining armor, huh? But back to the Blackburns. What do you know about them?"

Kai pondered for a moment. "Mother said that the father died before the girl was born, so her last name is her mother's maiden name. The Blackburns have an industry in the city, but they moved here with a widow servant and her two girls because they wanted peace and quiet for a change."

Carswell whistled. "Lots of girls. I thought it was just a rumor. How old is Miss Blackburn?"

"Fifteen, I believe."

"So, long skirts and hair done up?"

Kai shrugged. "Long skirts, probably, but I don't think her hair is done up yet. Well, here we are."

They knocked and waited, hearing the sound of hurrying feet. The door was flung open, revealing a girl almost as tall as Kai. She was wearing a cream white blouse tucked neatly into a dark green skirt. Her skin was a healthy tan, her eyes alluring brown, and her hair, which was a fine dark brown, fell in waves just past her shoulders.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I- my clothes aren't proper enough for callers." She bit her bottom lip nervously. Kai's eyes were drawn to them immediately, and he blushed when he realized what he was doing.

Fortunately, Carswell made his move next. "Carswell Thorne, seventeen years old. And I must object, miss. I do not think you underdressed."

The girl nodded. "Selene Blackburn." She looked at Kai. "Who's your friend?"

"I am Kaito Prince, pleasure to meet you, Miss Blackburn." He held out his basket. "My mother made these for you and your family."

At that moment, he noticed a small girl hiding behind Selene's skirt. He bent down. "Hi!" He flashed a her a bright smile.

The girl squeaked and dove behind Selene, who laughed, a sound that warmed Kai's chest. "This is Peony, our maid's youngest daughter." She, too, bent down next to Peony. "Do you want these nice young men to come in and have tea with us?" At Peony's nod, Selene stood back up, picked up Peony's hand, and gestured for the "nice young men" to follow her into the house.

Upon entering, they discovered idly that inside was already decorated with lovely paintings and knick-knacks. One side of the sitting room was lined with bookshelves, filled with more books than Kai could count. He looked at them longingly. His books were barely enough to fill two chests, and this family had enough for a whole wall. There were, of course, no books at the schoolhouse except for textbooks.

Selene smiled at him. "Are there any books you'd like to borrow from our shelves, Kaito? You look pretty interested."

Kai smiled softly. "Please call me Kai. And no, not yet. Perhaps I could have a closer look after tea with your permission, Miss Blackburn?"

Selene came back with plates. "You may come over at any time to borrow books. But please, call me Selene."

They proceeded to eat, and Selene was laughing at a story that Carswell was telling when a tall woman walked in. She was dressed in a fine gown, and her features were such a resemblance to Selene's that Kai had no doubt that this was Ms. Blackburn, the mistress of the house.

She smiled at Kai before turning to Selene, who had just noticed the entrance of her mother. "Selene, dear, I didn't know we were expecting guests. If you had told me ahead of time, gentlemen," she remarked with a laugh, "I would've had Selene dress fancier for you."

"That's what I said, Mother!" Selene protested. "But these two said my clothes were just fine."

Carswell shrugged. "Well, that's what the girls here wear to school, so I think it counts as presentable."

Selene frowned. "They wear this to school?"

"Yeah." Kai looked at Selene over his tea. "What were you planning on wearing?"

Selene's eyes widened before she laughed. "Sorry, I've never discussed my wardrobe with men before. But I'll go get my clothes, and maybe you can give me some suggestions." There was a tinge of pink on her cheeks as she left the room, glancing at Kai one more time.

Ms. Blackburn sat down. "Now, gentlemen, I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I am Mrs. Haddon, but since my husband died, I have reverted back to being called Ms. Blackburn." She paused. "That's why Selene's surname is also Blackburn."

As always, Carswell went first. "I am Carswell Thorne, seventeen years old, ma'am. My father is a captain in the infantry, but he visits my mother and I once in a while."

Ms. Blackburn nodded. "Do you run your farm?"

"We have hired hands that do it while I'm studying."

"Which is not often," Kai muttered.

Carswell glared at him. "I'm only a book behind you!"

"Ah, but according to what I heard, he is a year older than you, is he not?" Ms. Blackburn asked with twinkling eyes.

Kai nodded. "I'm sixteen, ma'am. My name is Kaito Prince, and my father used to be a mayor in the city before my mother fell ill when I was seven. Since then, we've been living here, and Father manages our farm."

At that moment, Selene came back with clothes, which she draped over a chair. Her choice consisted of a snowy white shirt with dark blue swirls along the row of pearl buttons. She also had a skirt, which was the same dark blue as the embroidery on her shirt. Matching swirls were done along the bottom in white.  
Carswell pointed at the patterns on the shirt. "Wouldn't those be covered up by your apron?"

"Girls here wear an apron over a skirt?" Selene asked incredulously.

Kai laughed. "No, of course they don't." He smirked at Carswell. "Wait until I tell Cress and Iko of my discovery. Carswell Thorne messes up his facts on fashion!"

Carswell grimaced. "Uh, are you going to be wearing this same set every day?"

This time it was Ms. Blackburn who laughed. "Of course not, Carswell. Selene has multiple sets with the same patterns, just different colors."

Selene glared at her mother. "Even in red." She looked at Kai. "So, what do you think?"

Kai shrugged. "It's just a little fancier than what the others would wear, so it should be fine. Who made this... series for you?"

Selene beamed, and Kai was glad he asked the right question. "My step-cousin, Winter makes all of my clothes for me."

"She must be quite talented," Kai mused, tracing a finger over the pattern.

"She is. She learned from the best."

Kai looked up at the softening of Selene's voice. Their eyes met, and both looked away, blushing.

Carswell coughed, smirking at Kai. "Well, look at the time! We have to get going soon. Perhaps Selene can show you some books before we go?"

Selene stood up. "Of course." She picked up her clothes from the chair. "I'll just go and-" she caught her mother's glare "-get Pearl to put these back," she ended, sounding defeated.

A few moments later, another girl entered, dressed more plainly than Selene, but looked around fifteen as well. Her gaze lingered on Kai longer than he liked. "You called, miss?"

Her eyes continued to stay on Kai, even as Selene was instructing her on where to place each article of clothing. Selene hadn't noticed. Something in Kai wished she _would_ notice. He tried to assure himself that it was simply because she could put a stop to the not-very-concealed glances of admiration, and nothing more.

"Kai?" Selene was looking at him, concern written all over her face. Kai had been so caught up in his musings that he hadn't noticed Pearl had left, and Selene was waiting for him to follow her to the sitting room.

He cleared his throat. "Right. Lead the way then."

"So, who's Pearl?" Kai inquired as he continued to examine the books on the shelves. He already had several in his arms, taken, of course, with readily-give permission from Selene.

Selene ran her finger along the spine of a row of books. "Adri, our maid, has two daughters. You've already met Peony, who's the younger one. Pearl is the elder one."

Kai raised his eyebrows. "One wouldn't believe that so easily. How can they be so... different?"

Selene sighed softly. "Pearl remembers a time when her family didn't serve ours."

"They weren't always your servants?"

Selene shook her head. "Mr. Linh was an inventor for Blackburn Corporations, and quite an accomplished one, too. Then, he unexpectedly fell ill, and the Linhs used all their savings from over the years for his treatment. Unfortunately, he never recovered. On top of that, Peony was born, so they were pressed even more financially than ever.

"When my mother went to visit Mr. Linh for the last time, she proposed that his family could become our servants. Mr. Linh agreed, knowing that they wouldn't go hungry as long as they were under our roof. Besides, we could help take care of Peony."

Kai frowned. "Do you... mistreat them?"

"Of course not! We give them warm food, clean clothes, and a roof over their head in exchange for their help around the house. On top of that, they get some money every month so they can get something they want for themselves. And I'm sure if they asked for a week of leave from my mother, she would let them go."

Kai's frown deepened. "Then why does Pearl treat you with contempt?"

Selene sighed again. "It's her pride, Kai. She knows she will be a servant to us until she gets married or finds a job somewhere."

Kai raised his eyebrows. "Is that why she was so interested in me? Because she's desperate to get married?"

"Perhaps." Selene laughed. "You are rather good-looking."

Kai looked to Selene in surprise. "And so are you," he said softly.

"Thank you," he heard, just as softly. Selene had ducked her head, but he could tell she was trying to hide her smile.

Kai cleared his throat. "May I accompany you to the schoolhouse for the first day of school tomorrow? I'll come by in the morning."

She smiled, a mixture of delight and shyness. "Of course, Kai. And you can walk me to school every other day too, not just tomorrow."

* * *

"So," said Thorne with a smirk, "the day you tell me you don't want to be bothered by girls anymore is the day you go and fall in love with one."

"Carswell!" Kai's ears were pink.

"Say, when's the wedding?"

 _"CARSWELL THORNE!"_

* * *

 **There it is! Remember to tell us what you think!**


	2. Of Glances and Chances

_"You look lonely." Carswell's sarcastic voice cut through Kai's thoughts. "...and jealous."_

 _"Who said I was jealous?" Kai murmured, averting his eyes from the couple that was hugging each other a few feet away. He started to glare at the table. Carswell could practically see the steam coming out of his ears._

 _"You're lonely," Carswell said in a sing-song voice. "Lonely."_

 _"Lonely?" Kai scoffed. "I'm practically the most popular boy in this entire school."_

 _"Right, practically, because I'm the most popular boy in this school." Kai glared at him. Carswell sighed. "We both know that most of the friends you have aren't… sincere." Kai let out a haughty huff, but he knew that his one and only best friend was right. "And clearly, you need something more than just a friend."_

 _Kai's cheeks colored with a deep blush. "I don't know what you mean," he muttered, trying to play it cool. But by the scoff that Carswell loudly let out, it was clear that he saw right through his act._

 _"Yeah, yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night."_

 _Kai resisted the urge to punch him right in the face. What satisfaction he would gain if he saw Carswell with a black eye? Before Kai could act on impulse, Carswell slipped into the chair across from him and slid over a piece of paper._

 _Kai glanced up from the table, glaring at Carswell suspiciously. Carswell shrugged._

 _Grabbing the slip of paper, he unfolded it, seeing Carswell's messy scrawl on it. It was the name of a website. "What's this?"_

 _"An online dating website," Carswell explained. Seeing Kai's incredulous look, he hurried to convince him. "I met Cress on this website."_

 _"Wow, Cress," Kai breathed. "She really doesn't seem like the type of person to sign up on these type of sketchy dating websites."_

 _"Well that's because her friend set her up on a date with me without her permission. She really didn't have much of a choice." Carswell tapped his chin. "Although maybe my handsome face finally convinced her to come on that date. She nearly didn't show up!"_

 _This time, Kai couldn't resist the urge to slap Carswell on his forehead. Carswell let out a short yelp of pain, clutching his forehead. "Anyways," Carswell said, voice strained, "Cress' friend can introduce you to another girl. She said based on my description of you, you two would fit pretty well."_

 _Kai let out an unintelligible grunt, and Carswell could tell that he was not convinced. "Why don't you go home and check it out? If you don't like it, then by all means, don't use it. But just give it a try." He shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe you'll find your soulmate."_

"I can't believe I let him drag me into this," Kai hissed under his breath. It was one o'clock at night, when he was supposed to be sleeping, but here he was, scrolling through the website in search of the girl who Carswell had mentioned.

 _"Her name is Cinder Linh."_

Kai frowned, clicking the search bar and entering her name. Hundreds of results showed up. His eyebrows furrowed. "How am I supposed to find her?" he cried indignantly, scrolling down the seemingly never ending list. With a sigh, he slipped his phone out of his pocket, texting Carswell real quick.

 _What does she look like?_

Almost immediately, a message from Carswell popped up.

 _See, I knew you would try it out._

Before he could type back a witty reply, another message came in.

 _Anyways, she has tan skin, dark brown hair and brown eyes… I think._

"Real helpful. That just about narrows it down to… fifty," Kai deadpanned. But still, he scrolled until he came onto one profile. Narrowing his eyes, he studied her face. She fit all the descriptions Carswell had given him, and surprisingly, she caught his eye. Plus, her profile, besides minimal information about herself, was completely empty.

 _"She's never dated before."_ Carswell's voice came into his head.

"This should be her," Kai muttered, clicking on her profile. He hovered the clicker over the message button, gnawing on his bottom lip. _Should I really do this?_ "It's a once in a lifetime thing, Kai," he told himself, clicking on the message button. Another tab popped up, and he typed a quick message about himself before clicking send.

Almost immediately, he could feel a wave of regret crash over him. Slamming his laptop closed, he threw his head back onto the pillow and groaned. _Curse you, Thorne._

* * *

When Kai clicked on his dating profile the next day with the purpose to completely delete it, the only thing that stopped him was the little red bubble next to his inbox. Eyebrows disappearing into his hairline, he clicked on the button quickly.

A message from Cinder popped up. It was nothing but a simple hello with a happy face emoji, but at least that was a start, right? He typed up another quick hi, clicking send and immediately calling Carswell.

"Is the lonely prince finally sweeping his princess into the sunset?" was his greeting.

Kai grimaced. "Hardly. But, she did say hello."

Carswell made a scoffing noise. "Oh, a hello. Like people don't say that to you whenever they see you. A hello is SO VERY SPECIAL." The sarcasm was basically dripping from his tone. Kai let out a huff. "Anyways, I'm going to meet up with Cress tonight."

"That's great!" Kai said, enthusiasm for his friend clear in his voice.

"And you're coming with me."

"Ugh," Kai groaned, mood making a one-eighty. Carswell laughed.

"Cheer up, pretty boy. You won't be third-wheeling alone. We've invited your little princess, too." Carswell paused. "We already told her you'd be coming, so in other words, come or you're doomed."

"I hate you so much," Kai said dryly.

Carswell laughed again. "You can kill me later, because I'm coming to pick you up in ten minutes. On the dot." With that, he hung up. Kai stared wide eyed at the blank screen of his phone, muttering under his breath about the audacity of his best friend to set him up with a girl, a person that he barely knew.

Yet, maybe some small part of him wanted it.

After all, this 'Cinder' did seem interesting. _Any friend of Cress is a friend of mine,_ Kai thought. He stared down at his attire of grey sweatpants and an oversized, black sweatshirt. _I'd better change._

* * *

Finally Carswell was doing something right with his life, because, true to his word, he arrived at exactly ten minutes from the time he had called. Maybe Kai did something right tonight, too, because he was already waiting outside with a change of outfit, wallet stuffed deep in his pocket. The possibility of Carswell paying for himself was small, so he had prepared enough money to pay for all four of them.

Kai swung open the door, sliding into the back seat.

"S'up, pretty boy!" Carswell crowed immediately. He peeked at Kai through the rearview mirror. "I gotta say, you cleaned up pretty nicely today." He wiggled his brows. "Dressing nicely for somebody, I suppose?" Ignoring his annoying best friend, Kai shot a smile at Cress, who was sitting in the passenger's seat. She smiled shyly back, giving a small wave.

The car cruised leisurely down the road. "We'll be meeting Cinder at the restaurant," said Cress, her timid voice cutting through the silence. She glanced down at her phone. "She must be nervous; she's already at the restaurant, and she has an affinity for being late." She shrugged. "I guess her need for making a good first impression is winning, though." Cress turned to Kai. "She's been pretty excited about meeting you."

Carswell whistled lowly when Kai blushed, sinking into his seat.

"Shut up," he growled, and the other two laughed.

The car ride had seemed like forever, but it was probably only a good five minutes. Finally, Kai was stepping out of the car, his hands turning sweaty. He wiped them inconspicuously on his jeans, stepping towards the front door of the restaurant bravely. Waiting before the front doors was a girl.

Her hazel brown hair was neatly braided, hanging over her right shoulder. She was glancing anxiously around, phone in hand, her chocolate eyes wide and wandering. It was obvious she was uncomfortable in her heels, as she kept lifting her foot up and adjusting it with a wince, and smoothing down her blue dress, checking for any wrinkles.

Kai nearly backed out then and there, catching sight of her beautiful face.

It seemed like fate was not on his side, because right before he could turn tail and run, the girl caught his eye, and she smiled.

And from then on, he knew he was hooked.

* * *

 **Please tell us what you think!**

 **As you can see, we had no success coming up with a title for this chapter. If you can think of a suitable name for this chapter in the format of "Of _ and _", please help us out! Thank you!**


	3. Of School and Tools

Thorne groaned in frustration as he walked through the unbelievably large mall. It was ridiculously difficult to navigate a regular sized mall without a working phone, let alone the mall he was in.

One would assume that a person like Carswell Thorne, living in the twenty-first century, would own a smartphone, but his, unfortunately, was broken. It was working one minute, and completely dead the next. So now, he was studying the unbelievably large mall directory, trying to figure out the fastest route to a shop that was so new, it was only recently stuck onto the map as a sticker. _Lunar Repairs_.

There were lots of rumors surrounding the shop, mostly about the owners.

There are no other employees, just the two of them.

They are both first-year college girls studying at University of Artemisia, where Thorne was also studying.

They are both pretty, in their own separate ways.

And they are both single.

Of course, rumors are rumors, but there are always some truth to rumors, right?

Especially the part about the girls being pretty. Kai, Thorne's roommate, told him that himself, when Thorne asked him where he got his laptop fixed last time.

Thorne tried to have Kai confirm whether or not they were single, but Kai, with a strange twinkle in his eyes, said he didn't know. "That's not the type of question you'd ask a girl when you first meet," he'd insisted.

Thorne could get no other answer out of him, but he knew for a fact that Kai had been to the shop at least twice, once to drop off his laptop, another to pick it up.

Whatever. It's not like Thorne hasn't managed to steal girls right under their boyfriends' noses.

Finally, Thorne spotted the shop and entered. As Kai had told him, it was simple. Half of the shop was filled with big screens. The other half was filled with tools and accessories. A skinny brunette sat in front of a workbench, inspecting a tablet. A chair was placed beside a coffee table in a corner, with a few simple refreshments. Now Thorne understood why it had such a high rating, despite having just opened- hardware and software in one, with things to eat.

"Welcome to Lunar Repairs! How may we help you?" It was the petite blonde sitting in front of the screens who swiveled around in her office chair to receive him.

Thorne leaned across the counter, already targeting ther. She was rather cute, after all. "My phone is broken, sweetheart." He leaned over more, noticing that she had started to blush. "What's your name?"

She turned away, trying to hide her face and gestured at the other girl. "Cinder, this one is probably for you."

The brunette got up from her chair and walked over. "What happened?"

"Wouldn't turn on." Thorne flashed his devilishly charming smile at her. "You're Cinder? Is she... Ash? Oh, Ashley!"

To his surprise, Cinder didn't even look at him twice. "What was the last thing you were doing with your phone?"

"Um." Thorne tapped his chin. "Netflix?"

Cinder snorted. "Probably a dead battery." She walked to a drawer. "You can simply go home and charge it, or, I could install a new battery for you, one that has a greater capacity."

"And how much is a new battery?"

Cinder held one up. "Twenty. Installation fee and tax included."

Thorne frowned, but flashed his smile again, wondering why Cinder was immune to it. "Can I just make it up by taking you out?"

Cinder raised her eyebrows. "No."

She took his phone from his hand and promptly began to take it apart at her table.

Thorne sighed. "I was thinking maybe we could go to that new French place in town. Little Rieux, I think it's called? It's said to be pretty romantic."

Cinder didn't look up, and was now inspecting his phone. "Been there. Owner's one of mine and Cress' best friends."

"Aha!" Thorne snapped his fingers. "So she's Cress." He flashed an easy grin. "And you're taken. No wonder you didn't react to my charms. I was starting to believe I'm losing my touch. My friend introduced me here, you know. He had a laptop fixed here. And there are rumors all over the place about you and Blondie over there."

Cinder fit the battery in and snapped the case over it. "What rumors?"

"Oh, mostly about you two being at Artemisia, and how you're both single. That's apparently not true though." Thorne dug around his pocket for his wallet. "Hey, is Cress taken?"

Cinder rolled her eyes and accepted his twenty dollar bill. "None of your business."

"And...who's your boyfriend? Maybe I can fish the answer out of him."

Cinder raised her eyebrows. "You're Carswell Thorne, aren't you?"

Thorne looked at her, astonished. "How'd you know?"

She shrugged, leaning back in a chair. "First off, Cress is a hacker, so to speak. And second...who's your friend that introduced you here?"

"Kaito Prince, but what does he have to do with-"

Cinder grinned. "Yep, that's him."

Thorne paused in front of the door and turned around. "Kai has a girlfriend and he didn't tell me? And he had me believe you were both single!"

"Who had you believe they were both single? You should have backed off when Cinder was ignoring you, anyway," remarked a voice from the door, which had been opened from the outside.

Thorne whirled back and almost collided with Kai. "You! You- sneaky fox! How come you didn't tell me you had a girlfriend?"

Kai grinned, striding over to the counter and dropping off some drinks for Cinder and Cress. "You never asked."

"I'm sure I did!" Thorne paused. "Right?"

"Nope." Kai leaned over the counter to kiss Cinder's cheek, obtaining a groan from Thorne. "You only tried to set me up with countless girls, all of whom I refused."

"Plenty of opportunities for you to tell me!" Thorne huffed. "How long?"

Cinder stood up, reaching for the drinks and bringing one to Cress. "High school?"

Thorne narrowed his eyes. "Aren't you two years apart?"

"Precisely why they- especially Cinder- were the envy of the school!" This came from Cress, who blushed as soon as Thorne's attention fell on her.

Thorne glared at Kai. "You are going _down_."

Kai laughed, sitting down behind the counter. "Not if your phone is still here and I do the business managing for these two here."

Thorne groaned. "Can I take Cress out on a date, then? Or is she taken as well?"

"I'm pretty sure you're trying to get a free battery, but that depends on Cress." Kai turned. "Cress?"

Cress nodded shyly, albeit slowly. "Uh, can we make that a double date with you guys too?"

Cinder smirked. "We'll go to Scarlet's restaurant, then."

* * *

Kai was having the fun of his life. After all, he had his girlfriend next to him, and he was about to make Thorne pay for trying to get a free battery out of them. Cress was able to keep up civil conversation, but her tendency to shy away had Thorne feeling a tad bit bored. He was trying to talk to Cinder, who promptly ignored him and simply leaned against Kai in their side of the booth, stealing some of his French fries.

Eventually, Thorne switched a target and tried to talk to Kai, who also didn't want to talk to him much on a date. After all, Kai wasn't _Thorne's_ boyfriend. Ah, speaking of boyfriends, if Kai predicted correctly, Thorne was going to be Cress' pretty soon. He just needed... a push.

Or a shove.

"Hey, Cinder," he whispered in her ear.

When she turned to look at him, he wrapped his arms more tightly around her and kissed her. Cinder gasped in surprise, clearly not expecting to be attacked by her boyfriend while he seemed to be in a conversation. Nonetheless, she kissed him back.

Thorne gagged. "Cress. Let's get out of here."

Cress pulled him up with her. "Definitely."

After they left the table, Kai grinned at Cinder. "Mission accomplished."

Cinder raised her eyebrows at him. "Really? So now I'm only a tool in your missions?"

"Of course not." Kai smirked at her. "I like kissing you for fun, too."

Cinder slapped him. "Stop being so immature."

"Aww, but I'm not even lying!"

* * *

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	4. Of Love and Loss

Kai thought that having a soulmate wasn't anything special.

Sure, there were perks, like the connection between them that "nobody could ever compare to," or the "understanding and love that ran deeper than just the heart." At least, that was what Carswell had said.

Kai swore that Carswell was a completely different person before he met Cress, his soulmate. Maybe he went through an identity crisis, or something. Before Cress (which Kai referred to as B.C.), Carswell had hooked up with every single girl in the entire school. He goofed around with girls often, moving on in less than a week sometimes.

But then, one fateful day in November of last year, Carswell had met Cress.

"It was like an angel had descended from heaven onto earth," Carswell had said. Kai gave him an unimpressed look. "Really!" Carswell hurried to defend himself. "She was glowing."

"Mhm," Kai hummed, bored.

"Hey!" Carswell smacked Kai across the head. "Take notes! You haven't met your soulmate yet."

That was like a poison arrow straight to Kai's heart. Everybody around him had already met their soulmate. Cress and Carswell, Scarlet and Wolf, even Winter and Jacin! Most of them seemed like the most unlikely pair, but they clicked together as easily as two puzzle pieces. Pinned as the "lonely and single" friend of the group, he often trailed behind them whenever they did something together, not able to bear the looks that the soulmates shot each other, being the seventh wheel.

They were so cheesy that he wanted to throw up, but somewhere deep in his heart, he ached for a person that would understand him like that. Sighing, he pulled himself out of his thoughts and yanked his sleeve up. He delicately traced a finger over the azure butterfly tattoo that rested on the inside of his wrist.

"Someday," he whispered. "I'll find her someday." Tugging his sleeve back down, he stood with a huff, flipping his hood over his hair. His phone buzzed from his pocket, and he took it out, seeing Carswell's name on the screen. "Hello?"

"Kai!" Carswell yelled into the phone. His speech was slightly slurred.

"Carswell?" Kai's eyebrows furrowed. "Where are you?" From the loud music booming in the background, he concluded that he was at the club. As if confirming this, Carswell let out a giggly laugh, followed by a loud belch. "I'm coming to pick you up," Kai sighed.

"Aw, Kai, you're no fun-" Kai hung up on his drunk best friend, grabbing the car keys from the drawer before setting out for Carswell's favorite club. He hoped that his best friend hadn't gotten himself into too much trouble before he got there. Surprisingly, when Kai pulled up in front of the club, Carswell was already waiting outside.

He had draped himself over the wooden bench in the front, barely supporting himself. Swaying side to side unsteadily, he shot Kai a drunken smile when he reached him. "Oh, hey buddy!" he chirped. "Didn't expect to see you h-here." He burped. Kai wrinkled his nose at the smell of alcohol that came off of Carswell in waves, grabbing him right before he collapsed to the ground. Carswell giggled again. "Oopsies."

The door to the club opened, and out stumbled two other girls. One had a head of messy, red curls, her body slumped onto her companion. Her companion - an olive skinned girl with caramel hair - supported her the best she could.

Kai swore that she glowed. He almost dropped Carswell from the shock of her beauty. This was her. He had found his soulmate.

"Why'd you drink so much?" the one with the caramel locks groaned.

"Loosen up, Cinder," the red headed one slurred back.

Cinder. Before he could call out after her, the two girls had already disappeared around the corner, and Kai couldn't run after them, because he had a drunk Carswell latched onto his arm like a leech.

With a roll of his eyes, Kai slung Carswell's arms across his shoulder, slowly dragging him down the stairs and towards his car. "Why aren't you with Cress?" Kai grunted, trying to distract himself.

Carswell's head lolled to the side. "She was s'posed to meet with her friends today, so I got me some fun." His words were starting to mix together into incomprehensible murmurs, so Kai gave up trying to decipher them. Unlocking his car door with great difficulty, he threw Carswell's body into the back seat before shutting the door behind him.

Already tired, he slipped into the driver's seat, glancing in the rearview mirror at his drunk best friend. Carswell's face had a goofy smile on it, his limbs splayed awkwardly over the leather seat. When they made eye contact, Carswell's smile grew bigger. He tried to make himself sit up, but his hands kept sliding on the seat. Then, suddenly, his face grew very, very pale. His cheeks puffed up.

Kai's eyes widened. "Don't do it! Carswell, I swear if you throw up in here, I will-"

Carswell bent over and threw up all over Kai's new, leather seats.

Kai made yet another trip to the bathroom to get more towels, determined to get every speck of barf off of his leather seats. He had used so much bleach and cleaning detergent that his car reeked of it, but he was convinced that the germs hadn't been washed off yet.

Carswell was snoring heavily on Kai's couch, a bucket next to him in case he felt sick again. Kai had placed a large glass of water next to him, knowing of the horrible hangover Carswell would experience when he woke again.

Once Kai was satisfied with his clean car, he moved all the cleaning supplies back in, putting them in their designated areas. He stepped into the bathroom again, turning on the faucet. The soothing, cold water rushed over his hands, and he rinsed them quickly before splashing water on his face.

Grabbing a towel, he slung it over his shoulders before stepping into the kitchen, grabbing a bunch of vegetables and a can of chicken broth to help Carswell make some hangover soup. Heating the water, he grabbed a knife and started to neatly peel the rough, outer skin of the carrots.

From behind him, Carswell let out a tired groan. Turning, he saw Carswell sit up, glancing around. "Welcome back," Kai said. "How do you feel?"

"Like hell," Carswell said, grabbing the glass of water and chugging it down in one gulp. Kai grinned, starting to chop the carrot into small, easy-to-bite pieces. "This headache is killing me." He stood up, wobbling his way over to the cook. "Whatcha making?"

"Hangover soup-" Suddenly, Kai dropped the knife onto the counter. The knife sliced into his skin, creating a long cut that spanned the length of his hand, but that was nothing compared to the pain that he felt on his wrist right now.

"Kai!" Carswell said with a gasp. He reached out for him, but Kai yanked himself out of Carswell's grip. Tugging his sleeve up his arm, he stared at his soulmate mark. It burned like never before, sending shots of fire up his veins, searing his nerves and invading his senses. The edges of the blue wings were starting to fade, turning the new skin there a bright red. His skin burned.

Something was wrong.

Kai remembered his mother telling him that if his soulmate mark ever burned and started to disappear from its spot, his soulmate was in grave danger.

"I have to- I have to…" he trailed off, glancing at Carswell. Carswell nodded, his eyes wide as well.

Tossing him the car keys, he said, "Go find her, Kai."

Fervently, he nodded in thanks before rushing off to his car. He peeled out of the driveway faster than he ever had before, nearly crashing his car into the oak tree in front of his house, but he didn't care. He just needed to get there - and quick.

Kai didn't even know where he was going, but he knew that he would end up in the right place. His mark would lead him there. Soon, he reached an area where many police cars were lined up, their sirens wailing. Bright blue and red lights flashed across the cement, illuminating the scene. Pillars of smoke wafted from the middle of the circle.

Throwing open his car door, Kai ran out of the car, tripping over a crack on the ground. Undeterred, he picked himself back up, sprinting towards the first line of caution tape. "Hey, hey!" a police officer yelled, rushing towards him. He grabbed him by the arms, dragging him back. "What are you doing? You can't go in there."

"I have to," Kai said, struggling out of his grip. Before he could get past, three other officers came and grabbed him. "I have to!" he repeated. "Wait, look!" He shook his shirt above his wrist, showcasing his soulmate mark. Half of the butterfly had burned away. The officers exchanged a look.

"Let him go, boys," the first officer said. His eyes were sad.

Once they released him, Kai bolted towards the smoke. Three cars were grouped next to each other. One had been flipped over, its glass shattered. Nobody was inside that car. The other had crashed straight into the last car, denting the metal. Its headlights flickered on and off before sputtering out. Nobody was in that car, either.

Kai gritted his teeth as his mark burned again. He didn't have to look to know that the butterfly was being erased. Finally, his eyes landed on the last car.

Just like last time, she glowed. Her body was slumped over the dashboard. A trail of blood trickled down her forehead down to her lips. Her eyes were fluttering shut, but they always snapped open again. Kai took a sharp intake of breath, and like she had heard, her eyes lifted and connected with his.

Electricity crackled between them, and then Kai felt it. A click. The butterfly mark burned momentarily, but this time in a good way. However, it wasn't long before the searing pain returned, and Cinder winced. She coughed loudly, and splatters of blood spilled onto the dashboard, painting it crimson. Kai stood there, frozen. He knew he wouldn't reach her in time, so he just stared. He could feel his heart crack, burning into ashes along with his soulmate mark.

But she was still awake. So he smiled through his tears and held up his wrist, showing the sapphire butterfly that was being erased. Her eyes widened momentarily, and then weakly, she lifted her own hand. An identical butterfly mark sat there. They both shimmered in the sunlight, flashing gold.

Then, Cinder took in one last, shuddering breath, and her arm fell. Her eyes shut.

A single tear trickled down Kai's cheek. The pain gave one last bite before disappearing completely. Kai's skin felt normal again, but he was broken. He retracted his arm. The sleeve revealed the inside of his wrist, with nothing but the burnt skin to remind him of what had happened.

 **Please tell us what you think!**

 **If you have a prompt, or would like to see a part two, also put that in the reviews or DM us!**


	5. Of Butterflies and Death

**AN: First and foremost, we are very, very, sorry that we have not been posting. Life gets in the way, and we're trying to work around it. Keep your eyes out for the next installment of Growing Up as well! We are working on it, and will hopefully finish the next chapter soon.**

 **Second, do not panic. I have accidentally named the oneshot "Of Butterflies and Fire" without realizing until afterwards that it sounds like the previous angsty one. We think it sounds nice, though, so we're just here to inform you before you start reading that it has nothing to do with "Of Love and Loss". Got it? Okay, you can start reading now!**

"Cinder, come look!" Cinder ran toward the boy kneeling on the ground, waving for her to join him. "It's a butterfly!"

Cinder peered at it from her position over Kai's shoulder. "It's pretty, but why is it on the ground?"

Kai turned around with a serious expression. "I think it died."

"Oh." Cinder frowned. "Should we bury it?"

"Sure! You find a place, and I'll carry it," Kai instructed her, and started to move the butterfly onto a leaf.

"I found a spot!" Cinder called softly out of respect for the butterfly.

They buried it at the roots of a big oak tree, even going as far as carving a butterfly into the bark above the little resting place. When they finished, they sat down on a boulder, leaning against the tree.

"I'm going to put a flower on it everyday," Cinder told Kai solemnly.

"Put two, one for me because I can't come everyday. But I promise that I'll come as often as I can."

Nodding, Cinder rested her head against Kai's shoulder, closing her eyes sleepily. Kai was about to fall asleep too, when Cinder suddenly sat up.

"But what about when we grow up?" she wanted to know.

Kai didn't even hesitate. "We'll live here together, of course!"

"But Mommy says that people live together when you're married!"

Kai shrugged. "Okay, we'll get married. But then, where's your dad?"

"That's what I said to Scarlet! Then she told her grandma when she saw her next, because she doesn't have a mom, and her grandma said that we're both different from normal families." Cinder paused for a breath. "And Scarlet's grandma is always right."

Kai frowned. "Who's Scarlet?"

Cinder grinned toothily, poking at Kai's wrinkled brows, waiting until it smoothed out to speak. "She comes sometimes with her grandma to visit Mommy. Her grandma used to be the commander of a battalion."

"A girl as a commander?"

Cinder wrinkled her nose at him, and Kai smirked, poking it. Cinder swatted his hand away. "You don't believe me? And besides, she was a woman when she started." She brightened up. "She's my hero, you know. I want to be a general when I grow up."

"I believe you, I just didn't know what to think." Kai looked at her with a grin. "Besides, I can't marry my general, can I?"

Cinder giggled. "No, Your Highness."

"Good."

They sat there for a good ten minutes before Kai tapped Cinder's arm. "Hey, I have an idea! Let's build a fort!"

"You mean like your palace?"

Kai shook his head. "No, I'm kinda tired of palaces. There's only two of us, anyway."

"Umm..." Cinder tilted her head. "Like a shelter that we hide in?"

"Yeah! We can hide there so the adults don't find us!"

Cinder beamed. "Okay!"

They ran off together into the depth of the massive garden, further away from the mansion. Looking this way and that, they found a cluster of trees and decided to build their fort there.

"How do we build it?" Cinder asked.

"We put big branches against a tree, I think." Kai scanned the landscape. "Then we find something to cover it to make it rain-proof."

Cinder frowned. "That's going to take forever."

"That's okay. We can work on a little bit every time. Now come on and help me!"

* * *

"Kai? Kai! Where are you? We have to go!"

Kai ran out of his wing, frowning as he joined his father and mother in the royal carriage. "Why are we leaving on such a short notice?"

His mother, the queen, closed her eyes. "There was an accident at the Blackburn mansion. Fire. We only know that Channary isn't with us any more."

"What about Cin- Selene?" Kai inquired frantically.

"We don't know, Kai!"

Kai looked out the window and took a deep breath. It was in moments like these that he struggled to be the eighteen-year-old prince he is. He turned back. "I'm sorry, Mother."

She patted his knee with a sad smile. "It's alright. I understand."

Kai all but flew out of the carriage when it stopped by the Blackburn cage. "Cinder!" he shouted as he weaved this way and that through the crowd of onlookers and frantic servants. He cursed, then bit his tongue, briefly wondering if anyone heard the prince swear. "Cinder!" He tried again, making his way over to a clutter of people. At the center, Cinder was kneeling on the ground, crying into her hands. The servants around her weren't sure if they should comfort her, but cleared a way for Kai when they noticed him, half bowing.

He bent down, wrapping his arms around her. "Cinder, Cinder, I'm here."

She shifted slightly, recognizing his voice, and curled into him tighter. "Kai." She looked up at him with puffy eyes. "Why are you here?"

Kai raised his eyebrows. "Should I leave?"

"No." Cinder hid her face in his shirt again. "Sorry. What I meant to say was, how did you come here so quickly? It only just-" she choked on her words. "It just finished happening a little while ago."

"My parents knew. I don't know how. But we flew over in the carriage." Cinder looked at him again to see a twinkle in his copper eyes. Sensing lingering panic in her eyes, his expression turned serious. "Do you need to take a walk?"

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt." She allowed herself to be pulled up into a standing position. "We could go to the garden. It was undamaged, I believe."

Together, they walked slowly along the path they had wandered down countless times. Reaching their little hiding spot, Kai let Cinder enter first.

It had come a long way, their hiding spot. No longer was it the clumsy shelter built by two children. Over the years, the pair had learned more tricks for building a comfortable space while still keeping it away from most eyes. There had been wooden planks placed inside, on top of that a mat, on top of that some cushions. It was on these that they sat, chatting and reading their time away.

This time, Cinder chose to curl into Kai once more. "Thanks, by the way. For taking me out of there."

Kai grinned. "That's what best friends are for, after all." He watched her carefully. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

She shifted a little and started to tell him. "I was visiting the butterfly on my daily walk." She sniffed. "Then servants came running, and I smelled smoke, and the next thing I knew, Mother's whole wing was burnt down, she along with it." She paused for a few moments. "I suppose you could say the butterfly saved me."

"Yes, it did. It repaid us for our childish kindness." They sat in silence, thinking over the day's events. "I have something to tell you, Cinder."

She sat up, facing him. "Does it have to do with this magnificent uniform you're wearing?" She gestured at his red jacket.

"Well, maybe." Kai took a deep breath. "I'm getting married." He looked up to gauge her reaction, and saw her stiffening.

"Congratulations, then." She gave him a forced smile. Her eyes were guarded now. "Will you be happy with it?"

Kai shrugged. "Sure."

Cinder narrowed her eyes at him. "Marriage isn't a joking matter, Kai! It's very serious!"

Kai tilted his head at her. "You know, I wasn't finished talking."

Cinder crossed her arms. "Talk."

"Well, here's the thing- will you be my bride?"

Her eyes might've popped out of their sockets. "What?"

"Do you need me to repeat?" Kai had a mischievous grin on his face now.

"No." She shook her head at him. "Are you serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be, my lady?" Kai held out his hand. "So, what do you say, Cinder? Are you interested in becoming my princess?"

She threw herself at him. "Yes!" Then she sat back, as far as she could with his arms once more around her. "But I did not appreciate that joke."

"Ah, yes, there is that. I just wanted to see how you would react. I wondered if you loved me one too many times, you know."

"Why, of course I love you!" Cinder looked at him with a half-hearted glare. "And I still remembered the promise, so I was offended, Your Highness."

Kai kissed her nose, making her blush. "Well, I apologize sincerely, Your Future Highness." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Or should I say... my Future Highness?"

She laughed, giving him a kiss of her own, giggling to see his ears turn red. "I love you."

"I love you too, Selene Blackburn."

 **AN: Thanks for reading! As usual, please vote, comment, and give us prompts!**

 **Also, here's some promo for Nathan Chen, the young man who inspired me to have Kai wear a red costume. He is a figure skater in the men's discipline for the United States. Nationally, he has won two Novice titles, two Junior titles, and has just won his third consecutive Senior title, at the age of nineteen. Internationally... he's the reigning World Champion, about to defend his title in March. If you want to see him and his red costume in action, go check out his 2017 Nationals free skate!**


	6. Of Sweets and Treats

From the moment Kai stumbled into her bakery on a fine, summer day, Cinder already knew that he was going to play an important part in her life.

She had been standing behind the counter, wiping her hands on a wet towel after popping a batch of bite-sized cakes in the oven. Then the bell attached to the door had rung, and Kai had stepped into her bakery, walking only a few steps before promptly tripping over his own feet.

He managed to catch himself before face planting on the floor. Cinder giggled a little, and Kai lifted his head. When they made eye contact, his cheeks immediately flushed a bright pink - crawling up his neck and extending to the tips of his ears. Clearing his throat, he straightened, eyes darting everywhere but her.

"I…" He coughed awkwardly again. Cinder watched him intently, still holding the towel. "I was here for the new job offer?"

"Oh!" Quickly, she set down the towel, stepping out from behind the counter. "Hi, I'm Cinder, the owner of this bakery." She held out her hand to shake, which Kai took hurriedly. "And you?"

"Kai," he breathed.

She smiled. "Kai," she repeated. "Do you have any baking experience?"

Chuckling nervously, he scratched the back of his head. "Not really. The only experience I have is from watching baking shows. Does that count?" Cinder tilted her head to the side, staring at him in amusement. "But I can learn!" he piped up. "I'm a quick learner."

Cinder hummed, allowing her eyes to subtly scan Kai's face. His eyes were wide, holding a sort of childish innocence in them. He was gnawing on his bottom lip in anxiety. "Okay," Cinder said after a pause.

Kai blinked. "Okay?"

"Yes." She grinned at him. "Okay. Come early tomorrow morning, okay? Your shift will usually start at eight, but I want you to come at six tomorrow so you can help me prepare." She shot him a glance out of the corner of her eye, stifling a giggle at his baffled expression. "Is that okay with you, Kai?"

"Y-yeah." He stared at her for a second longer before hurriedly bowing. "Thank you!"

"It's no problem. Thank you for volunteering." Slowly, he started to back up towards the door.

"I'll come tomorrow, then?"

"Yes, Kai." Cinder nodded. "Tomorrow."

* * *

Kai arrived six o'clock sharp the next morning in similar fashion. This time, he had tripped over the uneven doorstep, causing the door to slam into his back as it closed. He let out a sharp yelp of pain, and Cinder had laughed at him again.

"Good," she said, glancing at the clock. "You're on time." She nodded to the sink. "Wash your hands first." He complied, rinsing his hands with water and soap before drying his hands with a paper towel.

"What am I doing today?"

"Nothing too hard. Just icing a few cupcakes."

"Oh." His twisted expression said that icing cupcakes did, in fact, seem difficult.

"Don't worry," Cinder said, patting his shoulder comfortingly. "I'll walk you through it, okay? It's your first time, anyways. I'm not putting any kind of pressure on you." Visibly, relaxed. "Come on over here." She waved him behind the counter, where freshly baked cupcakes sat in their paper wrapping, void of any frosting. "Take this."

She placed a piping bag in his hands. Kai stared at it like it was an alien object. Then, she grabbed a single cupcake and put it in front of him. "Watch." She grabbed her own piping bag filled with cream cheese frosting. "Start from one end and squeeze lightly." She demonstrated the motion, a bit of the icing coming out from the tip. "Then just move the bag in a circular motion until the frosting piles up on top of each other, finishing in a small tip." Easily, she swirled the piping bag, the icing perfectly settling in an intricate pattern. "Simple, right?"

"Uh…"

"Alright, Kai!" Cinder chirped, setting down the piping bag. "Let's see it."

Gulping, Kai adjusted the piping bag in his hands, trying to hold it like how he saw Cinder doing it. It felt awkward and heavy. Squeeze lightly. He squeezed too hard. A gigantic blob of frosting burst from the tip. He made a surprised sound in the back of his throat, hoping that Cinder didn't notice it. Move the bag in a circular motion. Kai tried. He really did, but instead of the beautiful pattern that Cinder had created, it came out as a messy, lopsided pile. End in a tip. He flicked his wrist.

There was a long pause. "Well. At least it has a nice tip," Cinder quipped. His cheeks flared, and Cinder started to laugh.

"Don't laugh at me!" Kai said, embarrassed.

"I'm not laughing at you," Cinder said, snuffling her giggles. She held up the poorly iced cupcake. "It's just… cute."

"Oh." Immediately, Kai's face flared a brilliant shade of red.

"Alright, I see." She patted him on the back. "I guess you're working with the customers, then."

"For the sake of the future of this bakery, yes, I think that's better." Cinder giggled at his words.

"What the heck?" Both of their heads snapped to the right in the direction of the new voice. Scarlet stood at the door, apron clutched in her hand. Her red hair was flying in frizzy curls around her face, shocked expression making her mouth drop open. "I haven't heard you laugh like that in ages!"

"Shut up!" Cinder said, appalled. It was her turn to blush. Scarlet's eyes slid to Kai, eyeing him up and down with a suspicious look.

"Who's he?"

"Be nice, Scarlet," Cinder warned. Scarlet smirked. "This is Kai, our new employee."

"Did he make that?" She pointed to the deformed cupcake still held in Cinder's hands. Hands on her hips, she continued, "I thought we were looking for more bakers, not customer service."

"Listen, Scarlet. If he's helping the customers, that gives us more time behind the scenes to make new pastries."

"I smell lies." Cinder shot her another dirty look. Kai's eyes darted between them, feeling extremely uncomfortable in this situation. Slowly, Scarlet's eyes narrowed at Cinder. "Are you sure you didn't hire him just because he's-"

"Would you look at the time!" Cinder exclaimed, lunging forward and slapping a hand over Scarlet's mouth, effectively cutting off her speech. "Shouldn't you help me ice the rest of the cupcakes, Scarlet?" Scowling, the red head nodded, breaking away from her grip. "And Kai, you can just go rest for now, alright?"

He nodded. "Sure."

Cinder smiled. "Thanks." Before following Scarlet to help with icing the cupcakes, she added, "Don't worry about Scarlet. She's not all that bad." And then she winked, leaving Kai as a blushing mess.

* * *

Kai found himself staring at his boss in his free time.

Well, his free time, and all the time in between.

It's hard to keep his eyes off of her. He can't - not when Cinder is glowing with the light of a thousand stars. _You can't think this way about your boss,_ he had constantly chastised himself. But no matter how many times he repeated that, it never stuck. He found himself gravitating towards her, as if he were the helpless earth and Cinder the sun.

"Hey." There was a tap on his shoulder. Kai didn't answer, too busy staring at Cinder, who was currently focusing on sprinkling powdered sugar on a batch of mini madeleines. "Hey." A harsher tap.

"Huh?" Kai's eyes focused on a smug looking Scarlet. She nodded her head towards an annoyed customer who was tapping his fingers impatiently on the counter.

"Too busy staring at Cinder to realize that this customer has been waiting for the past two minutes, hmm?"

His eyes widened, cheeks flaring at being caught. "I-"

"Hello, sorry for the wait! How may I help you?"

Kai groaned, stepping away from the register to lean on the counter, arms crossed. _I wasn't staring at her_ , he thought. Still, his eyes slid towards Cinder. _I wasn't_.

"Actually, I think it's kind of cute." Kai jumped at Scarlet's voice. She had finished with the customer and was now bothering him with a catlike grin. "Can you guys just date already?"

"W-what?"

"She likes you, too, you know." Scarlet rolled her eyes. "Please save me. All she ever talks about is you. Oh, Kai's hair smells like peppermint. Oh, Kai's eyes sparkle. Oh, when Kai blushes he's adorable. Blah, blah, blah."

"She really says that about me?"

"Do you think I can make up that many good things about you?"

He wrinkled his nose. "Thanks," he said dryly.

"Always here to help," Scarlet chirped.

"What are you guys talking about?" Cinder was washing the powdered sugar off of her fingers, glancing at them curiously.

"Nothing!" Kai said tightly.

"Oh." Cinder blinked. "Oh, okay."

Scarlet jabbed him in the side as Cinder walked away, her shoulders slumped. "Idiot," Scarlet hissed.

"What did I do?"

Shaking her head, Scarlet left him, too. "Too many things, Kai," she sang. "Too many."

* * *

"Kai?" His head swivelled towards Cinder, whose head was peeping out from behind the counter. "Can you help me with this?"

"Sure." He walked over, peeking curiously at what she was doing. In front of her was a fresh batch of macaron cookies, without the filling inside. They were all a different shade of brown - some a light beige, others a dark chocolate. His eyebrows furrowed at the array of sweets. "You know I'm no good with baking."

"That wasn't what I was asking, silly." Lightly, she bopped him on the nose. "I was just going to ask you to try one of each flavor. To see if it's good enough for the customers to eat."

"Anything you make is good," Kai blurted out.

"Oh." Cinder stared as his face went from a healthy tan to a firetruck red. "Thank you," she said softly.

"Y-yup."

Averting her eyes to the cookies, she gestured to the different flavors. "Which one first?"

"This one?" He pointed at a tan colored macaron. Cinder hummed, picking up two pieces and piping it with the same colored filling before sticking it together like a sandwich.

"Caramel," Cinder said as Kai took a dainty bite of the treat. "Sea salt caramel." Almost immediately, his eyes lit up at the explosion of the sweet and salty combination and the crumbly texture of the macaron.

"It's good!" Cinder smiled.

"Really?"

"Really good," Kai said, finishing off the rest of it. He even licked the filling off of his fingers, trying to get every last taste.

"Coffee next?" He nodded, and Cinder handed him a light brown macaron. It was just as brilliant as the sea salt caramel, with the bitter taste of coffee mixed with sugar and milk and cocoa powder.

His eyes lifted to see Cinder intently staring at him, and he blushed again. "Sorry," he said, clearing this throat.

"No, I'm glad you like it."

As she was preparing the next flavor - with a light pink dusting the apples of her cheeks - Scarlet's words suddenly popped into his mind. She likes you too, you know?

"Hey, um, Cinder."

"Yes?" She looked up at him expectantly, halfway done with another macaron. Kai's heartbeat sped up at the sight of her unwavering gaze, confidence lowering.

"I-I just wanted to ask you something."

"Go for it." She set down the piping bag, crossing her arms and giving him her full, undivided attention.

Kai gulped. "D-do you like me?"

Cinder blinked. "Of course," she said after a pause. "Of course I like you. You're a sweet friend, Kai."

"N-no, I mean… as… more than a friend." His voice trailed off at the end. When he looked up, Cinder was staring at him, her expression scarily blank. At that moment, he wanted a hole in the ground to swallow him up. "Forget about it," he muttered. "Sorry, I wasn't-"

"Shut up, you idiot." Cinder grabbed onto Kai's wrist before he could run out of the bakery. "I like you too, okay?"

Surprised, he turned back around. Her head was lowered. This was his first time seeing her so shy. Admittedly, it was cute. "You… you like me?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" Cinder sighed, letting go of his arm to run her fingers through her hair in distress. "I've been talking to Scarlet all about you."

"I know."

"You know?"

"Scarlet told me."

Cinder's eyes widened almost comically. Then, her face flushed, almost rivalling Kai's in its color. "Oh my gosh. I'm so embarrassed. I'm sorry - I'm going to kill her-"

Kai cut off her stuttering with a kiss. It was awkward, with their noses bumping together harshly, but it was cute, and innocent, and warm. It didn't matter, because to Cinder, Kai was sweeter than any treat she could ever bake.

 **AN: Please tell us what you think! Again, if you have any ideas for future stories, message us!**


	7. Of Names and Conversations

"Cinder!" A boy skipped to the playground. "Let's play pirates! I'll be Captain Carswell! That's... that's... a- ale- something!"

"Alliteration, Carswell," Cinder called out.

"Hey!" he cried indignantly. "You don't call me Carswell! Call me Captain, or Captain Carswell, but not Carswell!"

"Sure... Carswell." Cinder smirked.

"Stop! Or- or, I'll make you walk the plank!"

Cinder swung around the bars. "I don't see a plank. Besides, Crescent calls you Carswell, and you don't mind."

Carswell huffed. "Well, you're not Cress!"

"I know! You like-like her! You let her call you Carswell, and you even gave her a nickname!"

Carswell wrinkled his nose, though Cinder thought his face was a bit pink. "No, I don't!"

"Yes, you do!"

"No, I don't!"

* * *

"Cinder," sang a musical voice.

A grunt.

"Cinder!" Winter tried again.

A muffled groan.

"Wake up, Cinder! It's the first day of fourth grade!"

No response.

"If you don't get up, I'm going to steal all your cargo jeans."

Cinder bounced out of bed. "No!"

Winter laughed. "That's what gets you out of bed?"

Cinder shrugged. "Dunno. Go away so I can change."

"Into one of your cargo jeans?"

"Go away!"

"Don't make us late!"

* * *

"Cinder."

She looked up from her blueprint of the inside of a motor. "What."

"Help."

"With what."

"My chart." Iko waved a hand at the paper spread out in front of her.

"It's called a blueprint."

"Yeah, yeah. I need your help."

"No, you don't. We're not doing anything to it, just studying it."

"Oh." Iko's attention was on her phone. "Why are we studying it, again?"

Cinder rolled her eyes. "Stop texting in class and maybe you'll know."

Iko sighed dramatically. "But who's going to organize all the outings for us? Besides, you could always tell me after class."

"I'm not going anywhere. And we're building a robot in class tomorrow."

"And?"

"So I'm studying blueprints I borrowed from the teacher."

"And what does that have to do with class?"

Cinder looked exasperated. "So we can build it successfully tomorrow!"

"I'm pretty sure, Cinder," Iko replied without looking up from her phone, "that Mrs. Jackson wouldn't ask us to build a motor from scratch."

"Well, maybe I want to know more."

"Well, maybe we should just go out for ice cream. I'm pretty sure that I can get us a double date, or maybe a triple date if we invite Scarlet or someone-"

"Well, no."

Sigh. "You're no fun."

* * *

"Cinder." Scarlet nudged her chair.

"Hush."

This time a kick was involved. "Cinder."

"Hush."

"Cinder!" A pencil flew onto her desk.

"I'm taking an online test!" Cinder snapped.

"Yeah, I know, and I need to borrow your eraser. I'm trying to sketch, you know."

Cinder glared at Scarlet, twisting around in her computer chair. "Yes, and it's on my desk, right here. You can get it yourself."

"No. I'm clearly sprawled on your bed."

"Well then, don't use it."

"Fine then."

* * *

"You."

"Who?"

"You."

"Who, Jacin? Don't tell me you haven't memorized the names of everyone in homeroom after two trimester."

Jacin glared at Cinder, who grinned back, unfazed.

"Kate?"

"No. Can I-"

Cinder made a great show of turning around. "Amy, I think Jacin has something to say to you!"

"Cinder!" Jacin hissed.

Cinder feigned surprise. "Oh, so you do know my name! Ah, too late, Amy wants to know what you want to say," she said, gesturing at the girl in question.

"You know she has a crush on me!"

"Exactly."

"I'm going to kill you."

"Amy might kill _you_ if you don't stop talking to _me_ this instant and start talking to _her_."

* * *

"Um, Cinder?"

"Yeah?"

"You're good at statistics, right?"

"I'm decent at it, I suppose-"

"Decent for you is better than anyone else. You watch football critically, don't you?"

"Well, no, I wouldn't say that-"

"What happened to the last Super Bowl that we watched at Thorne's house? You were pretty critical then."

"I'd prefer the term analytical, Wolf."

"Fine, analytical. You are a natural tactician."

"Thanks for the ego boost, I suppose, but why are you talking about this?"

"Well, you see, our head coach is on leave, and we've got a game coming up. It's not a big game, but the team isn't really listening to the assistant coach, so I'd appreciate it if you come and, you know, coach us a bit."

" _What?_ "

"I know it's a lot to ask of you, but I'd really appreciate the help, and you know, it might look good on college applications?"

"Um, maybe? I'll think about it, alright?"

"Thanks! We have practice today afterschool. I'll see you around!"

"Why did I involve myself with the varsity football team again?"

* * *

"Cinder?" Cress mumbled from underneath her blankets.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering…"

"A dangerous pastime, if you ask me," Cinder teased.

Cress huffed at her roomate. "I was wondering if you'd consider building a computer with me."

Cinder blinked. "Huh?"

Cress sat up in bed, tossing her long braid to one side. "Well, you could design a sleeker, lighter, prettier, I don't know, _better_ computer, and I'll do some programming."

"And what is this for, exactly?"

"Well, I wanted to do this just for fun…"

"Are you kidding me?"

Cress looked down, face red. "I mean, I thought it would be a nice project-"

"No, it's brilliant! But, you know, we shouldn't waste all that money and time on some purely recreational idea. What if we submit it to some contest or fair?"

Cress lit up. "Oh, you really think we can do that? It was always a childish dream of mine, especially around the time I was in foster homes. I guess I just ever found the person willing to work with me."

Cinder offered Cress a sympathetic half-smile. "Before my mom found me I was very much the same way. Now, come on, let's make this dream of ours come true."

* * *

"Sweetheart?"

"Cut it out, babe."

"No, love."

"Stop it, darling."

Kai pouted his lips. "Se- _lene_."

" _Kai_ -to."

"Stop being so childish, hon. You're packing up your college dorm. Act like an adult."

"Says the one lying on my bed, sneaking pictures of me, and being extremely helpful to me."

Kai smirked. "Sarcasm suits you, my dear. Don't think for one moment, though, that I want you to pack slowly. You're moving with _me_ , remember?"

Cinder rolled her eyes. "Yes, darling."

"Ha! You lose! You called me darling already! Find a different pet name!"

"No. Help me pack."

With an exaggerated sad baby face, Kai plopped down to look through Cinder's belongings. "Hey, check out this picture of us at prom!"

"Kai."

"You looked beautiful that day. You know, you're still beautiful. More beautiful than ever."

"Quit talking and _help_ me, Kai."

"You're quite perfect, you know. I'd only change one thing about you."

Cinder frowned. "What?"

"Your last name."

Cinder dropped a picture frame. " _What?"_

"Marry me."

He's trying to be calm, Cinder realized, but he's fiddling nervously. "I'll consider it."

Kai drooped dejectedly. "What would it take to convince you to marry me?"

"Us getting all this packed up and out the door in an hour."

They finished in half an hour.

 **AN: Can you believe it's been almost a year since the posting of** _ **Of Clothes and Books?**_ **Apologies for being MIA for so long! Our tempo kind of got messed up when the end of the last school year and the summer and the beginning of a new school year rolled around. As always, we would appreciate hearing your thoughts. Still open to suggestions for future stories!**


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